Clothespin



Nov. 14, 1950 A. E. WlEGER'i" CLOTHESPIN Filed June 18, 1949 \AIHTL [1L3z 1 113-5 IE'E'.

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Patented Nov. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE w CLOTHESPIN ArthurE. Wiegert, Lenawee County, Mich.

Application June 18, 1949, Serial No. 100,035

3 Claims. 1 This invention relates to clothes pins, and particularly tothose of the type having separate line gripping members that areyieldingly held together by a spring yoke.

The object of the invention is the provision of an improved strong,durable and comparatively inexpensive form of spring yoke for holdingthe separate members of a clothes pin in yielding assembled relation. Afurther object of the invention is the provision of a spring yoke forthe clothes pin members which will eliminate the torsion coils generallyused in springs of this character and substitutes therefor a yoke typeof springhaving tension portions embracing the clothes pin members andexerting astrong yielding tension in longitudinally spaced relationthereon and being relatively slidable to changeposition on the pinmembers as a spreading tension is applied and whereby an improved actionis obtained.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings,illustrating one embodiment of the invention, in which Figs. 1, 2 and 3are different side views of a clothes pin embodying the invention, withthe position of the parts during a spreading of the line engagingmembers shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3; Fig. 4 is a perspective view ofthe pin with the members in spread-apart positions and showing in dottedlines the normal position of one spring end; Figs. 5 and 6 are outer andinner side views, respectively, of the two pin members, and Figs. 7 and8 are difierent side views of the spring yoke removed from the pinmembers.

Referring to the drawings, I and 2 designate the two side or bodymembers of a clothes pin, preferably of wood, and each of the same isrectangular in cross-section and of the same length to combine to form aclothes pin when placed in yielding side abutting relation. The innersides of the two members at the lower or line-engaging end of the pinare shaped to combine to form a clothes and line-receiving recess 3, asis customary. The members I and 2 are held in yielding side abutment bya spring yoke 4 in which the present invention resides.

The spring yoked is formed of a single piece of spring wire bent to forma centrally disposed cross-piece 5 comprising a length of substantiallystraight or non-coiled wire and extending crosswise of the outer side ofthe body portion of one pin member in engagement therewith, such member,in the present instance, being I.

This cross-piece has at one end a leg 6 and at its other end a leg 1extending in relatively-divergent relation across the respective sideedge portions of the pin members in sliding engagement therewith. Eachleg 6, I, has a respective cross portion 8, 9, extending across and inengagement with the outer side of the pin member 2, in the presentinstance, and these portions cooperate with the legs 6 and l and thecross-piece 5 to retain the two members in yielding assembled relation.

Each portion '8, 9, terminates in a respective reentrant portion I0, II, which extends crosswise of and in engagement with the side edges ofthe pin members that oppose the side edges engaged by the respective legportions '6, 1. Due to the divergence of the leg portions "6 and l, theouter respective hooked endst, I0, and 9, H, thereof engage the member 2in spaced relation length- Wise thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4. Thepart I6,-which in the presentinstance is closest to the upper end of thepin, seats in a registering cross recess l2 in the two pin members, thusanchor-- ing the cross-part 8 against any sliding movement lengthwise ofthe pin members when the spring yoke is flexed by the spreading apart ofthe lower ends of the two members, as shown in Fig. l. There is,however, no positive anchoring of the hooked end portion of the leg 1 toeither pin member, thus leaving it free, except for frictionalresistance, to slide lengthwise of the pin members toward the other leg,as indicated by dotted and full lines in Figs. 3 and 4. It is thusapparent that when the pin members are held in closed side coactingcontact by the action of the spring yoke, the leg portions 8 and 9 arespaced the farthest apart, as shown by full lines in Fig. 3 and bydotted lines in Fig. 4. Also that upon a spreading apart of the lowerends of pin members, the length of'the yoke will shorten progressivelyless from the cross-piece 9 to the crosspiece 8 and during suchshortening the crosspiece 9 and center piece 5 will slide on the engagedmembers and the V formed by the leg portions 6 and I will be narrowedcausing an endwise compression of the yoke. The spring tension of thelegs 6 and l is outward from each other lengthwise of the pin, so thatthe spring is always resisting a spreading of the pin members. The crossportion 5 of the spring yoke, which may be inclined as shown, hassliding engagement with the coacting pin member. Upon a relativespreading of the pin members there is, however, very little movement ofthe cross-piece 5 relative to the members.

It is found in practice that a spring yoke formed in this manner, orsubstantially so, has greater stiffness and durability with smallerdiameter wire than springs heretofore used in connection with thepresent type of clothes pin, and of which I am aware, and particularlythose employing a spring coil for the cross-piece 5, and that it is lessliable to break, as the flexing or sliding action of my spring yoke onthe clothes pin members is very slight.

This spring also enables the pin members to be easily and quicklyassembled or removed from engagement therewith by merely forcing themembers, first one and then the other, into engagement with the springlengthwise thereof. In accomplishing this, the member 2 is preferablyfirst inserted through the spring yoke over the cross-loop 5 in properlypositioned engagement therewith and at the inner side of the legportions 8, 9, and the other member is then forced 4.- :into positionwithin the spring along the inner side of the first member and insliding contact with the portions 8, 9, until the two members are inmating register and the leg end part Ill snaps into the recess I2 andholdsthe members in assembled relation.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specificconstruction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable ofnumerous modifications. and changes without departing from the spirit ofthe claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim'as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent, is:

' 1.- In a clothes pin having two members lying side b side one upon theother and cooperating at their lower ends to form a line-receivingrecess' therebetween, a one-piece spring yieldingly retaining the innersides of the members in abutting relation and comprising a substantiallystraight cross-piece at the outer side of one member, and legsprojecting angularly from opposite ends of the cross-piece at oppositeside edges of th members and in divergent relation lengthwise of themembers and extending at their outer end portions in opposite directionsacross the outer side of the other member in holding engagementtherewith, one of said end portions ,being longitudinally slidable onthe engaged member and the other being anchored against any suchlengthwise movement.

2. An arrangement as called for in claim 1, wherein the cross-piece hassliding coaction with the outer side of the corresponding pin memberlengthwise thereof.

3. In a clothes pin having two members lying side by side one upon theother and cooperating at their lower ends to form a line-receivingrecess therebetween, a one-piece spring embracing the members near theirupper ends and yieldingly retaining them in side abutting relation withthe recess therebetween restricted, said spring having a cross-piececomprising a length of wire in crosswise engagement with the outer sideof one member and a leg extending from each end thereof across therespective side edges of the member and each terminating at its outerend in a cross portion lying across the outer side of the other memberin contact therewith and having a reentrant end at the side edge of themember opposite to the respective leg and in engagement with the saidside edge, said legs being divergent lengthwise of the members, with theone leg adjacent to the upper ends of the members anchored at its outerend against movements lengthwise thereof and the otherpermitted to havesuch movements.

ARTHUR E. WIEGERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

